The Last Don (miniseries)
The Last Don was a television adaptation of the book of the same name. It was later followed by The Last Don II. It was aired in three parts in 1997. It features Danny Aiello and Joe Mantegna, both key players in The Godfather Trilogy, in prominent roles as Don Domenico Clericuzio and his nephew Joseph De Lena respectively. Plot Don Domenico Clericuzio is one of the most powerful Mafia chieftains in the United States but his family is locked in a bitter feud with the Santadio family, who are ruthless and bloodthirsty. Worse, the Don's beloved daughter Rose Marie has fallen in love with Don Santadio's son Jimmy and asks her fathers position to marry him, protesting that he is nothing like his brutal father and brothers. The Don refuses, even when his beloved youngest son Silvio tries to get involved on Rose Marie's behalf. Later, Silvio meets Jimmy and Rose Marie in a diner and promises to persuade the Don to allow them to marry, but he is gunned down upon his escape by Jimmy's brothers, who believed he was involved in an ambush. At the funeral, Jimmy visits Don Clericuzio at great personal risk to offer his condolences, and the Don finally grants his permission for Jimmy to wed Rose Marie, on the condition that the ceremony will take place at the Santadio compound, and the only member of Rose Marie's family present will be Joseph "Pippi" De Lena, her cousin and the family's chief assassin. At the weddig party, the terminally ill Don Santadio grants the union his blessing, and Pippi catches the bouquet, much to Rose Marie's delight. However, when night falls, the Clericuzio brothers sneak into the compound and massacre the entire Santadio clan, with Pippi himself garotting Jimmy. Rose Marie is driven mad by the revelation, especially when she learns soon after that she is pregnant with a son, Dante. Shortly after, Pippi meets Nalene Jessup in Las Vegas and they are married, to the Don's disapproval. Nalene soon gives birth to a son, Croccifixio. The Don decides it is time for the family to beginning disappearing into legitimacy, and he puts Pippi in charge of the Xanadu Hotel in Vegas, whilst dispatching each of his sons to a legitimate trade. Nalene soon has a second child, Claudia, but her and Pippi's marriage begins to encounter problems. Cross becomes more and more like his father, whilst his mother fears he will one day become nothing more than a killer. Meanwhile, Rose Marie tells Dante the truth about his father, and he begins to hate the other Clericuzios, but Pippi most of all. Cast *Don Domenico Clericuzio ... Danny Aiello *Athena Aquitane ... Daryl Hannah *Cross De Lena ... Jason Gedrick *Dante Clericuzio ... Rory Cochrane *Rose Marie Clericuzio ... Kirstie Alley *Claudia De Lena ... Michelle Burke *Joseph "Pippi" De Lena ... Joe Mantegna *Nalene De Lena ... Penelope Ann Miller *Young Cross ... Tim Redwine *Silvio Clericuzio ... Quinn Duffy *Jimmy Santadio ... Bruno Campos *Young Rose Marie ... Emily Hampshire *Young Dante ... Noah Shebib *Young Claudia ... Cecilley Carroll *Young Ceil ... Stacy Rae Klein *Don Santadio ... Joseph Ruskin *Italo Santadio ... Peter Radon *Bobby Bantz ... Robert Wuhl *Dita Tommey ... k.d. lang *Giorgio Clericuzio ... David Marciano *Boz Skannet ... Christopher Meloni *Alfred Gronevelt ... Seymour Cassel *Virginio Ballazzo ... Burt Young *Senator Warren Wavven ... Cliff De Young *Skippy Deere ... Dennis Boutsikaris *Eli Marrion ... John Colicos *Detective Jim Losey ... Michael Massee *Lia Vazzi ... Conrad Dunn *"Big Tim" Snedden ... Mike Starr *Petie Clericuzio ... David Gianopoulos *Vincent Clericuzio ... Danny Mastrogiorgio *Ceil Ballazzo ... Ramona Milano *Tiffany ... Lark Voorhies *Phil Sharkey ... Badja Djola *Sophia Ballazzo ... Diane D'Aquila *Danny Fuberta ... Vincent Pastore *Tommy ... Nick Corello *Falene Fante ... Sarah Stavrou *Maya ... Lauren Dahl *Johanna ... Rashida Jones *Fonsa Jantadi ... Vincent Bruni *Sicilian Mayor ... Tony Amendola *Sicilian Driver ... Zitto Kazann *Marcie Warren ... Poppi Monroe *Bethany Aquitane ... Chloe Clifford *FBI Agent ... Howard Hoover *Prosecutor ... Tom Melissis *Policeman ... Jeff Clarke *Homeless Witness ... Carson Durven *Female Witness ... Laurie Fraser *Restaurant Owner ... Vito Rezza *Sierra Caretaker ... Frank Bongiorno *Ascension ... Perla Walter *Casino Manager ... George Simonelli *Awards Reporter ... Suzanne Dunn *Member of the Awards Committee ... Charles Perez *Athena's Security ... Carter Spohn *Jerry ... Jamison Ryan *Clericuzio soldier ... Michael Spagnoli *Clericuzio soldier ... Jody Racicot *Police Reporter #1 ... Emmett Miller *Police Reporter #2 ... Penny Griego *Jerry ... Jamison Spann *Athena's Security ... Carter Spahn *Hearse Driver ... Gil Amaral *Christie Vanguard ... Shannon Marketic *Bodyguard ... Rocco Salata *Gaius ... Deno Frangopoulos *Gambler ... Carson Manning Differences from the novel A significant difference in the miniseries is that it is shown chronological order, therefore there is no twist concerning the Santadio war. Additionally, we are fully aware of the identity of Pippi's killers, unlike in the book, where it is not revealed until several chapters later. The role of Molly Flanders is also eliminated from the story, instead being combined with Claudia. Last Don